Consumers of personal computers and communication devices, e.g., mobile phones, smart phones, personal digital assistance (PDA) device, two-way pagers, wire-line phones, portable media players, etc., demand customized device features. Consumers have become sophisticated users of such devices, requiring applications and tools beyond basic computing and communications functions. Examples of such applications are alarm clock and calendar features.
Many personal computers and communication devices contain stored audio and video clips, which may have been downloaded as favorites. Also, most personal computers and communication devices allow users to record short announcements or messages, e.g., names, greetings, etc. More advanced personal computers and communication devices allow users to capture still pictures and short audio and video clips.
In general, the application programs on personal computers and communication devices have limited capabilities for notifying consumers of events. Illustratively, when a consumer sets an alarm clock feature, the alarm clock application program notifies the consumer with a brief chime that has been preset by the software manufacturer. Optionally, a short text message may be displayed, e.g., via a pop-up window for a calendar feature in a computer, as a notification along with the brief chime. Also, some programs send email, facsimile, or telephone calls to notify and remind consumers of appointments.
Disadvantageously, reading a text message that is displayed for a brief period of time may be inconvenient for the consumer if the consumer is a) driving, diverting the attention of the consumer away from the road, or b) otherwise preoccupied. Also disadvantageously, an alert from the pop-up window is useless if the consumer is not viewing the computer display. Further disadvantageously, the consumer does not have the flexibility to configure or provision multi-media content, e.g., a tone, audio clip, or video clip, etc., that may be available on the communications device for use by the alarm clock application program for notification purposes.